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So, this is my first review of a drama. This is also the first drama that I’ve seen. I found it pretty interesting…in a really good way.

Hana Kimi is a Japanese Drama based on a manga about a girl, Mizuki Ashiya, who pretends to be a boy and enters an all boys school in order to meet Izumi Sano. She’s from the U.S. and met Sano went he was there for a competition where he does the high jump. Mizuki found out shortly after that Sano quick the high jump because of an injury, which we later find out that she caused. She feels that it’s her responsibility to make him jump again.

Mizuki does everything in her power to get Sano to make the high jump again, but Sano is stubborn and thinks that Mizuki is just annoying and nosy. He eventually does find out that she is a girl and she does make some progress with him, but it’s been so long since Sano has even tried the high jump that it’s going to be a long and painful journey to make it. Nakatsu, a friend of Mizuki’s, begins to fall in love with her (not knowing that she is a girl), which makes for an interesting sinario.

Drama is probably the best word to describe this…drama (Lol.), but there’s twists around every corner that keeps you guessing. I won’t tell you too much, but Mizuki’s family doesn’t know that she’s going to an all boys school, Nakatsu thinks he could be a homo, and Mizuki has to keep the fact that she’s a girl completely secret. There’s also tons of comedic moments, mostly Nakatsu; he’s my favorite.

You’ll really fall for all the characters. Each boy in this school has their own quirks and charms. Nanba, the head of dorm 2, is a “player” and he’s always getting into trouble with all his girlfriends. Sano (right) can be a complete ass, but he has his funny moments too when he’s drunk (the littlest bit of alcohol makes him want to kiss anyone around him). Nakatsu (left) is the most awkward of the bunch, but he’s very sweet and keeps an eye on Mizuki (center) protecting her. Mizuki is a lead female character that I actually love. She’s kind and fun and even though she’s never been in love before, her relationship with Sano can be very cute. Even though I love Nakatsu, I was rooting for her and Sano the whole time.

Maki Horikita does a fantastic job of being Mizuki. She does look very androgynous. Shun Oguri, though I’m not a fan, does a great job of portraying Sano’s character. Toma Ikuta, Nakatsu, is one I became a quick fan of…he’s cute! The acting was fantastic in my opinion.

I wasn’t a big fan of the music used for this drama, but it was ok. It consists of 12 episodes, though it seemed like more than that, which is a good thing! The manga has 22 volumes. I all but demand you to watch it! I swear I’m on my knees begging! It’s fantastic.

This drama, the second I’ve seen, I admit made me cry almost too many times. The crying most came from the fact that I loved one character more than the other.

Boys Before Flowers, a Korean drama, is about a girl who begins to attend a private elite school only because of a scholarship. Her family forces her to attend, bribing her by telling her there’s a pool there. Swimming is her passion. This school has a group called F4 who pretty much makes the rules. They are a group of four guys, all from rich families. Guem Jan Di, this poor girl, is stubborn and thinks the F4 are immature and hates them. Gu Jun Pyo, the leader of F4, gives Jan Di the red card, which, once it’s found in your locker, causes the whole school to torture you in different ways.

Jan Di, being the strong person she is, takes it all and asks for more. Jun Pyo doesn’t understand this and, after receiving a spinning kick in the face from her, he decides that he wants her…as a girlfriend. Jan Di, who hates Jun Pyo, falls in love with his best friend, Yoon Ji Hoo, but he loves a childhood friend. Ji Hoo does eventually fall for Jan Di, too. The whole drama, 25 episodes, is spent with Jan Di going back and forth between the two loves. This is drama at it’s best.

Jan Di (left) can be really childish, but she’s normal. Jun Pyo is one person I could deal without. He’s arrogant, stubborn, and immature. Ji Hoo (right), on the other hand, is loving and shy. He loves music, which is funny because the actor Kim Hyun Joong is a member of the band SS501. Goo Hye Sun, Jan Di, plays her really well, though I don’t really like her character.

The music in this drama was one of the best things about it. SS501 has a few insert songs as do A’ST1, Ashily (the song “Lucky”), and Shinee. My favorite song was “What Should I Do” by Jisun. It’s such a beautiful song, but it’s so sad. It really goes well with the drama.

I had a few problems with this drama. One, I was starting to wonder when Jan Di was going to get with one of the two guys and just stay there. Jun Pyo does a lot of things to hurt her, but Ji Hoo is there all the time to pick her back up and protect her. I hated Jun Pyo for all the things he did and wanted Ji Hoo to be the one Jan Di finally ran to. My other problem was, the other two friends, Yi Jung and Woo Bin. Yi Jung ends up liking Jan Di’s best friend, but what about Woo Bin? He’s really sweet, but he doesn’t get a girl?

It’s definitely a drama you need to watch, but don’t watch it if you want comedy. There’s not much. If you want a tear-jerking romance, watch this because you’ll get your fill.

Story: 9

Characters: 8

Acting: 10

Music: 9 (only because they repeated a lot of songs over and over again)

I was introduced to this anime through a friend who wanted me to read the manga. I haven’t read the manga yet, seeing as I already have three ongoing mangas I’m reading, but I do plan to in the future. There’s alot in the anime that I like.

Vampire Knight is about Cross Academy, a high school where vampires attend night classes. Yuki Cross is the main character; her earliest memory is, as a child, being attacked by a vampire and also rescued by one, Kaname Kuran. This was ten years earlier. Yuki and Zero Kiryu, a vampire hunter, are guardians at the school. They protect the secret of the “Night Class” students. Within a few episodes, you find out that four years earlier, Zero was bitten by a pure blood, the only type of vampire that can turn humans into vampires. He’s spent those years fighting the slow and painful transformation.

Yuki, once she finds out, promises to help Zero when he becomes a vampire. There is a type of vampire called, Level E, which are crazed vampires who have lost their humanity. All human-turned vampires are destined for this fate. Yuki basically promises to kill Zero once he reaches this state, if he ever does. Kaname is a pure blood and acts as leader of all the vampires in the “Night Class” while also acting as protector of Yuki, whom he loves. Yuki also loves him because he is her first memory and he has protected her for the ten years since. However, you always feel that Kaname knows more than what he leads on. Zero also loves Yuki, but hates Kaname and all vampires for what happened to him and his family, who were killed by a pure blood.

I don’t want to spoil the anime, but I feel like if I explain the story anymore, I will. The characters are actually really good. Yuki got on my nerves a little at the beginning, but she’s very caring and can be a little funny. Zero (right) is an almost stoic character. He never smiles and he’s very reclusive. Kaname (left), my favorite, always appears as though he’s thinking about something, like there’s something coming. So, whenever you see him just looking out the window, it’s suspenseful. You almost get the impression that he’s the puppet master pulling the strings of everyone. A couple of the other vampires are great, too; I love Hanabusa and Ichijou. Hanabusa is so funny while Ichijou is little of everything.

I love the opening and ending songs for this anime. For the first season, the opening is Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi by ON/OFF and the ending is Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima. For the second season, the opening is Rondo by ON/OFF and the ending is Suna no Oshiro by Kanon Wakeshima. I do like the fact that they kept the same artists for the opening and ending, but used different songs.

There is a second season, Vampire Knight Guilty, which is good, too. It is a continuation, but there’s new problems, too. Unlike a lot of anime, where the second season feels rushed, this one flows very well, I think. Each season is 13 episodes. The manga is 13 volumes, but is ongoing. If you enjoy vampires and romance, this is an anime for you.

Eveamlizya

I'm a 22 year old boring stay-at-home wife. I love anime, manga, and Japanese music. I also love writing, studying the occult, and crafting. I am combining a few of my loves and writing reviews of the anime, manga, and music I come in contact with.